


Defective: Definition, Imperfect Or Faulty

by BlueBloodBlueHeart



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Light Angst, M/M, Not Canon Compliant - Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, Post-Canon, Pre-Slash, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 19:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20512499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBloodBlueHeart/pseuds/BlueBloodBlueHeart
Summary: After disappearing for a little while Zim finds Dib at a park in the middle of the night to talk about things.





	Defective: Definition, Imperfect Or Faulty

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! This was referenced/inspired by the lovely @starchild37 on tumblr and her comic that can he found here, https://starchild37.tumblr.com/post/187449485188/this-thing-is-soooo-self-indulgent-it-is , I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Kudos and comments are very appreciated!

Dib had no idea how long it had been since Zim disappeared. Hours, days, weeks, months… _years_? All he knew was that Zim hadn’t been around since… well there’s no use dwelling on that. With a sigh Dib let his shoulders sag, closing his eyes to the world around him.  
He had come to this park to be alone and now that he was… he wished he wasn’t. Just as he was going to leave there was a sound behind him, the scuffling sound of feet dragging across the ground. Dib didn’t pay it much mind until a familiar green creature climbed over the back of the bench and sat beside him. Dib could hardly believe his eyes.  
“Zim you…” Not yet sure if it was real Dib reached out a tentative hand towards Zim, “you came back.” Only a little ways away from making contact Dib realized he wasn’t ready to know if it was real or not so he slowly drew his arm back to his side. Or he would have, had a little gloved hand reached out and stopped him. The touch was gentle, or as gentle as someone with claws could be. Dib felt his breath catch in his throat.  
“Yes,” Zim’s hand traced circles on the back of Dib’s hand, “I suppose I did.” Dib watched, stunned, as Zim pulled Dib’s hand towards his face and rested it on his cheek before nuzzling into it. A deep blush settled on Dib’s cheeks, he didn’t dare move just in case he ruined the moment they had found themselves in.  
After a few moments Zim stiffened before speaking, “Ok. Enough.” Zim didn’t push Dib’s hand away so Dib didn’t move, unsure of what Zim wanted.  
“Uh-”  
“Enough!” Zim shouted, in the way he always did, and shoved Dib’s hand away.  
“But… you were the one who-”  
“Silence! Zim will speak now!” Zim said before pausing to clear his throat, “The DIb has been granted permission!” Zim blurted out, his face blushing a light grey. It was something that had confused Dib the first time it had happened, but after Gaz found his notes and told him to research ‘basic color theory’ he found it made sense. Zim’s green skin mixed with his pink blood.  
“I have… no idea what you’re talking about.”  
“Do not play stupid!” Zim shouted, standing on the bench and pointing a finger in Dib’s face, “you know exactly what I’m talking about! That… _disgusting_ mouth-hole smashing you humans do!” Taking a breath Zim sat back down beside Dib and crossed his arms, keeping his gaze trained on the ground as his face blushed an even darker grey, “Zim will… permit it.”  
“Woah…” Dib stared at the side of Zim’s face, searching for any hint of amusement that would indicate a prank, “are you sure? Because the last time this came up you said I was ‘brain-washing’ you into defying your tallests and then tried to kill me,” Zim turned to Dib with a look of disdain, “maybe you should apologize for that because it really hurt my feelings and-”  
“Silence _Dib_,” Zim hissed out Dib’s name, “it’s your fault I’ve been infected with these pathetic, weak, _human-worm_ feelings-”  
“Is it now?” Dib asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at Zim’s words.  
“Yes! And here I am, trying to be _merciful_ and you dare not appreciate Zim?!” With a huff Zim stood from the bench and made to walk away, “but I can see the Dib is not interested so I’ll-”  
“No, no wait!” DIb reached out and grabbed Zim by the elbow, keeping him from leaving. _Not again. Not ever again_, “please stay… please” Dib’s voice nearly broke and he finally realized how tired he was. It was the middle of the night after all. Zim turned to look at Dib with milk, unmasked surprise, “don’t go again.” Once he was sure Zim wouldn’t leave Dib continued.  
“I get it, it’s weird. This whole thing is… weird. I’m a _paranormal investigator_ and this is too weird even for _me_.” Zim sat back down on the bench with a sigh.  
“Yes. Weird and so very… _disgusting_.”  
“Yeah. It is pretty weird to want to kiss your enemy, isn’t it?” Dib was having an internal crisis. _This is so weird_.  
“It’s filthy! I’d rather have my spooch removed.” With those words they sat in silence for a moment. Neither daring speak until-  
“So… do I still have permission to- uh… y’know?” Dib could feel his face heating up again, a blush settling on his cheeks.  
“If the Dib must, then Zim will allow this human pig mating ritual with the mouths to take place,” despite his body language and the tone of Zim’s words Dib could tell what he was really thinking, as indicated by the grey blush showing up on Zim’s cheeks, so with a smirk DIb leaned a bit closer, “but! Only this one time, and it will be kept brief-” Zim was stirred out of his speech by the lack of distance between him and Dib, their knees knocking together and Dib’s hand nearly touching his arm, “or-or…”  
“Or what, space-boy?” Zim paused for a minute, caught up in the gold of Dib’s eyes. It made Zim think briefly of the human fairytales of dragons and their hoards of gold, how the dragons would capture princesses and hold them hostage for brave knights to rescue. If Zim were a dragon then Dib would be the princess, those golden eyes the only hoard he needed and he would fight off any knight coming in search of- _wait what? No! He mustn’t think of things like that! This was his mortal enemy!_ Snapping back to the world around him Zim started talking again.  
“Let it be clear to you _Dib_, I am only doing this to better understand this horrid disease and once I’ve cured myself of it, this _mighty_ Irken soldier will make you pay-” Zim was cut off by Dib’s hand placed gently on his chin, his thumb brushing lightly against his lips before curling around Zim’s chin and bringing him closer to Dib, the inches between them growing smaller and smaller and for a brief instance they shared the same air before-  
It was… nice. It was different from anything else shared between the two before, by a long shot. It was nervous and anxious and sweet and comforting and so many words that neither of them had used to describe an experience between them before. It took a second for Zim’s eyes to shut, widening first before following Dib’s lead and slipping shut. They had no idea how long it lasted. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months… _years_?   
No matter how long it lasted it was over far too quickly, surprisingly Dib was the one to pull away though his eyes remained shut a lot longer than Zim’s. Despite all the emotions that were rushing forward Zim shoved them down and hopped off the bench, walking away from what had just happened.  
“That should conclude my business with the Dib.”  
“Wha- you can’t just-”  
“I’ll be destroying you along with this planet tomorrow so, ehh, enjoy your remaining time here, have an awful day.” Zim explained, continuing to make his escape as Dib sat stunned.  
“Y-you can’t tell me that meant nothing to you!” DIb shouted, feeling his emotions build inside of him.  
“We’ve been over this-” Zim turned to face Dib with a glare, “Irken soldiers shouldn’t have these… _feelings_ in their programming.”  
“Then you know what Zim?” Dib snapped, fed up with Zim’s delusions, “maybe you should stop pretending I gave you some ‘Earth illness’ and admit you’re defective!” Dib stood from the bench but made no move towards Zim, who had stopped in his tracks.  
“How _dare_ you!?” Zim shouted, “I am an example of a perfect Irken soldier!” Zim faltered, letting his mind consider the possibility of him being… _defective_, “i-if Zim really is defective then that would mean- no! No!” Zim couldn’t help the tears welling in his eyes, his emotions all over the place. In a moment of panic Zim’s robot legs came shooting out of his PAK, carrying him away from the park on auto pilot, “No! No! Lies! It’s lies and slander! You lie!” And with those words, for the second time that night, Dib was left alone with his emotions in the park. The only difference was that the sun was starting to creep over the horizon.


End file.
